Copyright 9news
Seven weeks after disappearing in the South Australian scrub, a pet dog named Einstein has proven his survival smarts. The Maltese cross, who took off from his holidaying owners, has turned up alive and is now recovering well as the exhausted pooch rests in safe hands after arriving at a vet clinic in Tea Tree Gully. Einstein was on holiday with his Queensland owners Jeff and Sue Johns on September 18 when he escaped into the Anstey Hill recreation park near Houghton, south-east of Adelaide. READ MORE: Iconic Adelaide radio presenter Leon Byner dies after leukemia battle "I had thought he may have been got by a snake or may not have been able to survive that long," Jeff told 9News over Zoom. Hopes of finding Einstein were fast fading. Then, yesterday afternoon, 53 days after his adventure began, he was found by a local family. The runaway was rushed to the vet clinic where staff were already aware he was missing. "We scanned the microchip and then that lined up perfectly with the microchip number of Einstein," Dr Mark Reeve told 9News. His body weight had halved over the seven weeks and staff were shocked he'd managed to survive. READ MORE: 'Asleep at the wheel': Senate inquiry scathing of response to toxic algae "In a lifetime of being a veterinarian I've never experienced an animal to go missing and be in the wild for this long and then to be found again," Reeve said. It doesn't quite compare to the story of Sausage Dog Valerie, who survived 529 days on Kangaroo Island but for Jeff and Sue, this moment is still pretty special. "The first time we see him I'm quite sure Sue is going to pick him up and hug him and cuddle him," Jeff said. Einstein still needs some time to recover here in the safe hands of vets but as soon he's given the all clear, his owners will drive down to Adelaide for what is sure to be an emotional reunion. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
